Andrew Jackson in the POTUS KO ringAndrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson: the record and the legends

Old Hickory. The 7th president, 1829-1837, from Tennessee. Every story here is tagged Record, meaning it’s documented, or Legend, meaning it gets told a lot and doesn’t hold up. Each one links to its source.

President
7th
In office
1829-1837
Home state
Tennessee
Party
Democratic
Height
6'1"

The record

  • RecordIn an 1806 duel, Charles Dickinson fired first and hit Jackson in the chest. Jackson stayed on his feet and fired back, and Dickinson died. The ball stayed near Jackson's heart for the rest of his life.Source: Miller Center, Jackson: Life Before the Presidency
  • RecordJackson was 13 when British soldiers captured him during the Revolution. An officer ordered him to clean his boots, and Jackson said no. The officer slashed him with a sword, and he carried the scar for life.Source: White House Historical Association, Andrew Jackson
  • RecordIn 1835 a man tried to kill Jackson outside the Capitol. Both of his pistols misfired. Jackson, 67 and walking with a cane, went after him with it before the crowd stepped in.Source: U.S. Senate, Attempt to Kill King Andrew
  • RecordIn 1813 Jackson was badly hurt in a Nashville brawl with Thomas Hart Benton and his brother. Years later, Benton became one of Jackson's strongest allies in the Senate.Source: Miller Center, Jackson: Life Before the Presidency

The legends

  • LegendYou'll read that the odds of both of those pistols failing were one in 125,000. That number comes from a test done long afterward. What's documented is simpler: both misfired, and Jackson walked away without a scratch.Source: U.S. Senate, Attempt to Kill King Andrew

What he cared about

  • Shutting down the Second Bank of the United States. He vetoed its new charter in 1832.
  • Moving Native nations out of the Southeast. He signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830.
  • Keeping the Union together when South Carolina tried to cancel a federal tariff.

The full record

Jackson enslaved about 95 people at the Hermitage by 1828, and the Indian Removal Act he signed led to the Trail of Tears, where more than 1,000 Cherokee people died on the forced march west.

How he fights in POTUS KO

Frontier brawling

Jackson never backed away from a fight, and he didn't mind taking the first hit. In the duel, he let the other man fire first. In the ring, he lets you swing, takes it, and answers.

See POTUS KO

Questions about Andrew Jackson

Did Andrew Jackson fight a duel?

In an 1806 duel, Charles Dickinson fired first and hit Jackson in the chest. Jackson stayed on his feet and fired back, and Dickinson died. The ball stayed near Jackson's heart for the rest of his life.

How did Andrew Jackson get the scar on his head?

Jackson was 13 when British soldiers captured him during the Revolution. An officer ordered him to clean his boots, and Jackson said no. The officer slashed him with a sword, and he carried the scar for life.

Did someone try to kill Andrew Jackson?

In 1835 a man tried to kill Jackson outside the Capitol. Both of his pistols misfired. Jackson, 67 and walking with a cane, went after him with it before the crowd stepped in.